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Lock in the heat this With the cooler weather settling in, simply turning up the heater for a few months might seem like an easy fix. But this can lead to energy bills soaring, and many families don’t realise there is another, more economical way to help control the home’s temperature, right at the window. Research has shown that a single pane of glass can lose almost ten times as much heat as the same area of an insulated wall. To help reduce energy bills and heat loss through windows, the innovative use of window furnishing, blinds and curtains can enhance the performance of windows and provide a sustainable solution. “It’s easy to create the illusion of warmth through textiles, accessories and lighting, but it’s important to find cost-effective and sustainable ways of heating our homes,” says Neale Whitaker, Interior Design Expert and Luxaflex Window Fashions Brand Ambassador. “Insulation is key to maintaining room temperatures, and a few small changes can help make your home energy efficient and keep the bills down.” Recognising which types of window shades are insulating, sustainable, and beneficial for long term use will assist when making window covering decisions. Honeycomb blinds are one of the best choices in window treatments for retaining heat inside the home.
GET IT August 2021
winter
The shades are specifically engineered with honeycomb-shaped air pockets that trap air inside these distinct pockets, helping moderate temperature and reduce heat loss in winter when they are closed. These distinct air pockets have the ability to reduce the heat transfer through a window, reducing the average home’s heating costs by up to 43 percent in the winter months. Luxaflex Silhouette Shadings are another great option, blending on-trend design aesthetics and practicality. A great choice for those who want more flexibility when it comes to controlling the flow of light. To prevent valuable warm air from escaping, insulating window coverings can help retain the warmer temperatures of the day. “During the day, your windows let in more radiant energy than gets out; sunlight can enter through the glass, but the window is opaque to the infrared radiation trying to escape,” says Neale.
“As home automation is fast becoming a widely adopted technology in homes across Australia, managing our homes’ energy, privacy and ‘scenes’, or ambience, is more efficient than ever. “The award winning Luxaflex PowerView Motorisation uses clever technology so Australians can now schedule their blinds to lower immediately after dusk – the optimum time to close them to help prevent heat loss,” he says. Each individual window covering can be powered at the touch of a button with a selection of stylish remotes, smartphone apps, and integration with third-party systems such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa, according to preference.
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Pre-program blinds to operate on their own throughout the day to create scenes in line with the sun’s movements, such as raising to let the light in at dawn, or close whilst you’re at work to keep the heat locked in during winter. Customise your scenes to suit your lifestyle and daily schedule, and enjoy seamless, whole-home integration including voice control and smart phone control.
